Strike at Suwidha centre leaves denizens high and dry

In the wake of Suwidha centre employees going on a pen-down strike on December 16, denizens faced grave inconvenience in getting their pending works completed on Tuesday.

Upon reaching the Suwidha centres, people were greeted by notices that read: "Due to the strike, we cannot provide facilities. The centre is closed."

The HT team visited two such centres to learn about the ground reality and the problems being faced by people, coming from far-flung areas, to avail services.

The Suwidha centre at the district courts witnessed a huge rush but there was no staff to address their grievances.

Residents said the lackadaisical approach of the staff and the authorities concerned had compounded their woes.

Sharing her plight, Paramjit Kaur, a senior citizen, who visited the centre for the second day in a row, said, "I've come from a faraway place and shelled out a huge amount to travel through public transport to procure my ration card. However, all my efforts have gone in vain as no services are being provided due to the strike."

A hapless Kaur approached the superintendent general, Anjana Mahajan, but to no avail. A huge crowd was already present at Mahajan's office, adding to the chaos.

Satnam Singh, another resident, who visited the Suwidha centre, said, "I want to deposit my 'Atta Dal' scheme form but nobody is accepting the same."

Several others like Singh echoed a similar view.

A similar scenario was seen at the Suwidha centre on the Ram Tirtah Road.

A notice was displayed at the centre along with a mobile number for assistance to the public.

Though HT tried calling up the number, it could not be reached.

Deputy commissioner Ravi Bhagat told Hindustan Times, "The Suwidha centre employees are outsourced and aren't government employees. They are demanding government jobs and hike in salary".

Asked for how many days the strike would continue, Bhagat said, "Discussions are on at Chandigarh and a decision will be taken soon."